Blue Lake National Park

What's special?

On North Stradbroke Island, Blue Lake National Park protects coastal wallum and a freshwater lake of special significance to the local Quandamooka people.

Blue Lake or “Karboora” is a window lake formed within a hollow in the island’s water table. Tortoise Lagoon, a small seasonal swamp, is a perched lake, located above the water table. Fringed with paperbarks, eucalypts, reeds and banksias, these lakes provide a quiet haven for native animals and visiting bushwalkers. Blue Lake’s crystal clear, blue waters are home to the soft-spined sunfish. Reed-filled Tortoise Lagoon is sometimes dry.

Sit quietly by the lake and have a bush picnic. Swimming is not recommended. (Hidden snags and shallow water pose risks for visitors.)

Take your camera and binoculars. Look for birds, sand goannas and swamp wallabies early morning and late afternoon. Enjoy the wildflowers in spring.

Walk to Neembeeba Lookout for a magnificent view over the southern part of North Stradbroke Island, the Pacific Ocean and the Gold Coast.

Visitors must be self-sufficient. There are no facilities. Please remove your rubbish from the park.

Camping is not allowed in the park. Private accommodation is available at Dunwich, Amity and Point Lookout. Local authority campgrounds are at Amity and Point Lookout.

Walking

Explore the wallum on two tracks through the park. Walk in the cooler months. Wear a hat and sunscreen and take drinking water. Wear insect repellent in summer.

Getting there

Water taxis and vehicle ferries from Cleveland provide regular access to North Stradbroke Island. The water taxi takes about 20 minutes and the ferry takes about 90 minutes. From Dunwich, drive 9km along Tazi Road to the park entrance. Access beyond the entrance is four-wheel-drive only. The road to the lake is 2·1km. The walking track to the lake is the best way to see the park.